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Liberal-led Committee to shut down debate on water and energy bill

May 22, 2018 - 10:55am

Atlantic Regional Organizers Robin Tress and Angela Giles (left to right) take action on Bill C-69 outside of Darren Fisher's constituency office last Thursday. Fisher is an Environment Committee member and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.

Tonight a key decision will be made about Bill C-69, an omnibus bill that makes sweeping changes to Canada’s water, environmental and energy laws. In fact, this Bill hands even more power to corporations in environmental, water, and energy decision making.

At 9 p.m. this evening, the Liberal-dominated Environment Committee will shut down debate on the Bill and force a vote regardless of whether or not the committee has finished debating amendments from opposition parties.

So far, the Committee has only debated 38 pages of the more than 400 page Bill. Amendments include important issues such as Canada’s commitments on the environment, climate change and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

This is unfair and it’s undemocratic – and that’s why we must take action today!

A couple of weeks ago, the Environment Committee began clause-by-clause debate and nearly 7,000 people resoundingly called on committee members to extend debate on this lengthy and complex bill. Thank you to all who took action!

Democratic debate on these important water and environmental legislation – which will impact generations to come – is crucial, and our collective action can ensure that it happens.

Bill C-69 includes the new Canadian Navigable Waters Act (CNWA), which was supposed to restore protections gutted from the 99% of lakes and rivers by the former Harper government at the advice of Big Oil associations.

But the CNWA fails to restore protections and introduce modern safeguards that the Trudeau government promised.

Add your voice - there is too much at stake for water, air and land. We need the federal government to make bold changes to ensure our water and energy security, challenge unbalanced corporate power and respect Indigenous rights.